Use of electronic consignment notes to be possible in international road transport

Use of electronic consignment notes to be possible in international road transport

The Government proposes that the use of electronic consignment notes be permitted in international transport by road. This will require an amendment to the Act on road transport agreements. The Government submitted its proposal on 27 September 2018.

The use of electronic consignment notes is included in the UN convention on the transport of goods. The Government is proposing to Parliament that the additional protocol for this convention be approved.

The additional protocol allows for the use of electronic consignment notes in the international transport of goods by road between contracting states, whereas up until now the convention has only covered paper documents. Thus, the use of electronic consignment notes is not mandatory, but parties can agree on their use in place of paper documents.

The aim of the proposal is to promote the digitalisation of the logistics sector. The transfer of data from paper to electronic format is a precondition for the more extensive digitalisation of the logistics sector and for the better utilisation of data in transport chains. Data that is in electronic format also promotes information exchange between companies and authorities, but, more than anything else, it facilitates the creation of services that are more flexible than previously.